I have been having an extended discussion on this blog about the role of Web writers and savvy developers in allowing Microsoft to be very abusive of Web standards. Microsoft is simply refusing to implement CSS, DOM, HTML, and JavaScript standards [many of which they pledged to do over 10 years ago] or are prolonging proprietary extensions in the the same or are refusing to support new Web standards like E4X, SVG, SMIL, HTML5 and others.
But Google Chrome Frame changes the game.
Now Web writers and developers can offer to their readers and/or clients some very attractive alternative options. Say to the client if they add Google Chrome Frame to their version of IE [it works with IE6, IE7, and IE8] than they will get a 10-20% discount on the Web work done for the client. Alternately they can promise the same type of discount if the client switches to one of the other 4 major browsers [Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox,Opera’s Opera]. Developers can easily afford these discounts because getting rid of IE often eliminates extra testing and debugging – as high as 40% of development time.
Clients win because they get not only a more standards compliant browser with less breakdown problems but also a browser that is much faster, has more features than IE and will likely be updated much more quickly than IE. This is a win-win argument that will also sell in these lower-the-costs times.
I really like this and I hope it catches on. I hate how M$ continuously promises to implement the standards but never does. This would make dev time much shorter so nobody has to deal with the old IE bugs.
Yes indeed getting rid of the deliberately short-changing-Web developers Microsoft monopoly in the IE browser would have widespread benefits. Interestingly Sony is delivering its latest laptops with Chrome as the default browser. If Dell, HP, Acer and Lenovo did this -or at least offered users a choice like required in Europe – paying the IE tax would be much reduced. But most people don’t realize or care about the browsers so long as its Just Good Enough. Google or Apple should do some ads on TV about this. Apple has an effective one on the OS – but Safari is very solid and IE is so bad … makings of a great commercial and awareness opportunity for Apple.